Town file
Moose Lake, Minnesota
Moose Lake, Minnesota (Carlton County, Minnesota) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 249, "The Self Pitying Serial Killer" (11 November 2021). In May 1999 Katy Poirier was nineteen and living at Barnum, Minnesota, with her family near Little Hanging Horn Lake.
- Town
- Moose Lake
- County
- Carlton County
- State
- Minnesota
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 249
- Approximate location
- 46.450, -92.761
Episode 249 / 11 November 2021 / 174 min / full
The Self Pitying Serial Killer
"We are going to Moose Lake, Minnesota, in eastern Minnesota, kind of right on the border of Wisconsin, in Carleton County, about three and a half square miles." about 0:05:39
The case: Murder of Katy Poirier (May 26, 1999); Murder of Wilma Jean Johnson (1983); Murder of Holly Spangler (1993); Murder of Callie Jo Larson (April 1999). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2021
- Population
- 2,790
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income
- $37,000
- Median home value
- $188,500
- Two-bedroom rent
- $924
- Cost of living
- 84
- Religious
- 46%
- Property crime
- ▲ about 20% high
- Violent crime
- ▲ about the same amount high
History, in brief
- On October 10th, 1918, two men working near a railroad siding north-west of Cloquet saw a passenger train pass and then saw fire burning through grass and wood piles; it could not be contained. about 0:10:16
- Two days later the fire was still burning and spreading throughout northern Minnesota; it was called the Cloquet fire but was really more than fifty fires. about 0:10:34
- The Moose Lake fire was at least five fires that came together. about 0:10:59
- The blaze neared Moose Lake about 7.30 and people had to be taken out by train to rescue them. about 0:11:09
- Most survived, and many of those left behind simply went into the lake. about 0:11:17
- In Moose Lake they saw seventy-five bodies piled in a burned building. about 0:12:28
- Seventy-five people died on one road leading out of Moose Lake; the New York Times said a hundred bodies were strewn here and there. about 0:12:36
- The Duluth Country Club and Children's Home were both completely burned down, along with all sorts of hotels. about 0:12:58
- Pretty much all of Moose Lake was destroyed, burned to the ground, and the surrounding area was deforested. about 0:13:06
- One of Minnesota's two sex offender facilities is in Moose Lake. about 0:13:21
The reviews read out
4 stars
"Likes the small-town community, the variety of small shops and small-town treasures such as the old movie theatre, brewery and coffee shop."about 0:13:45
4 stars
"People are always super friendly and there are many community events in summer, but the city council should be more lenient about letting new businesses move in."about 0:14:04
3 stars
"There are some good small-town jobs but nothing that draws people in or offers a truly competitive wage."about 0:14:21
3 stars
"Almost entirely mom and pop shops making good homemade food, lacking quality shopping venues but covering most day-to-day needs."about 0:14:32
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Big Lake Township, Minnesota19 miles
- Ham Lake, Minnesota85 miles
- Andover, Minnesota87 miles
- Lino Lakes, Minnesota91 miles
- St. Cloud, Minnesota93 miles
- Corcoran, Minnesota101 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.